Think Tamil Nadu and most non-speaking Tamil adults themselves will stop in their tracks. Why? Because, unlike many other states, we can get by in Tamil Nadu by only speaking Tamil. When adults themselves think twice before stepping into Tamil Nadu, how do students from other parts of India flock into VIT, Vellore which is in Tamil Nadu?
As an introduction, VIT University is a top private University located in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India and it has programs for Engineering, Architecture, Sciences and more at the undergraduate and post graduate level. It has branches in Chennai, Vellore, AP and Bhopal.
At the orientation, we were informed that students from 33 states were joining VIT, Vellore. This is not an exaggeration and we could see students from Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab along with many, many other states. Many languages could be heard at the orientation and Hindi was strongly heard. I was seriously puzzled as to whether we were in Tamil Nadu or in North India!! 🙂
But hey, we were in Tamil Nadu only and it was a reality that many students were choosing VIT, Vellore from all parts of India. But why?
- Fee affordability might be the first reason. Other states struggle for good and affordable private colleges. If you cannot get a seat in a good government college, VIT is a decently affordable private college.
- There are five levels of tuition fees that are followed for Category A branches and Category B branches. If you do secure a seat within the first 20,000 ranks in VITEEE exam, you will be eligible for level 1 fees for Category A or Category B branches. Category A branches are branches like Civil, Chemical, EEE etc and Category B branches are CSE, IT and more. The Category A branches are slightly cheaper than Category B branches.
- Category A branch tuition fees for level 1 is only 1.76L/year! (of course, the hostel is extra according to the room that you choose) VIT fee matrix is a big topic and needs a separate blog post! 🙂
- It has great infrastructure and all the departments have been built and established and standing for quite a while. I don’t think there are any new departments being constructed currently.
- However, the intake of students is high. Keeping that in mind, the number of hostels is also huge and new hostels are continuously being built. VIT, Vellore hostels looks like a big apartment complex. For this year, there are about 900 students for Computer Science Core, 249 students for EEE and other branches have a similar strength. Accommodating so many students and providing food is a good and massive exercise.
- There is a shuttle that plies between the different the blocks but it might be packed. It is best to have a bicycle and rotate between the different modes of moving between the campus.
- The hostel menu encompasses a variety of cuisines though Tamil Nadu cuisine might be more authentic(after all, VIT, Vellore is based in Tamil Nadu) The daughter enjoys the sundakka kulambhu, the paruppu urandai kulambhu, the gravies, the sundals, the pasta, the sweet, the cereals, the chicken, the fish and more(the menu has been made just for you, my girl! ;))
- VIT, Vellore is strict…Period. As an example, if the child is to be taken out of the hostel in the first few months after joining(even for a few hours), there is a big procedure that is to be followed. The security at the main gate peek inside every car that enters and exits the campus, to make sure that no child inadvertently leaves the college/hostel without getting appropriate permission! 😉 The child in the car will be kindly asked to step out and put appropriate entry!
- PDA or public display of affection is strictly banned… 😉 which is not to mean that girls and boys can never converse with each other. It is just that they should not go the Western way at any point of time!! 🙂
- Remember, I talked about the no dress code in my last post? Well, there is a slight change… girls might be pulled in occasionally and told to change their dress if it is not conservative enough…(face palm!)
These might be some of the reasons why VIT, Vellore is one of the most sought after private Universities in India.
The menu! 🙂
Stay tuned for more VIT, Vellore posts! 🙂